three hundred sixty five days ago, were we strong in our passion and love for Christ, or were we picking ourselves up... or were we perhaps sliding further away because of life's many other distractions?
three hundred sixty five days past that day, the past has perhaps now become irrelevant -- and our focus is on the here and now: this Valentine's Day 2009 heralds a day in the year set aside for celebrating love in our lives, not just among our significant others, but also for all our parents, family, friends, and so on.
my initial thoughts on this matter was to write something about 'what Jesus would recommend' in our daily dealings in love, within all these relationships that He has blessed us with, and which are ours to remember and treasure. certainly, this is important -- as is celebrating God and having Him at the centerpiece of each and everyone of these relationships. however, my thoughts swiveled to JESUS as our First Love, and how this is the place in our lives, in our hearts, that i reckon each of us Christians should hold Him in...
has your Love for God become perhaps, lukewarm or at least that bit colder in recent days? as an IB student, there's just so much work upon each of us now... and the same probably goes for our A-Level counterparts, and in our parents' occupations and the daily responsibilities we all face. with all these distractions we are faced with here on Earth, it is perhaps almost inevitable that some of the time and thoughts we accord to Christ daily are compromised somewhat
and then again, we live in a material world -- a great mix of things and possessions that could possibly become distractions as well, and even substitutes for God whenever we are cast down or weary. perhaps these lead us to feel more secure and confident, but are they really, truly able to do this? and as Christians, aren't we supposed to hold Christ first in every life perspective, in every situation?
how do you know when He is truly our first love? i think that's when we are able to find Him in each glum situation -- that when we feel discouraged, we are able to think of his infinite graces and seek refuge and strength from Him; i think that's when good has happened in our lives, and we rejoice but we hold it firmly in our hearts to accord Him all glory and praise, and thanksgiving for all that He's done and blessed us with; i think that's also when we feel so strongly that desire to just come to know Him better and better each day, and when we hold true to all that He taught us and consider Him (whether consciously or no) in each of our daily actions and let our behaviour, thoughts and deeds be reflective of just how greatly Christ's love has pervaded our lives.
think about someone significant to you in your life. surely there've been times when you wished that person were with you, and that you could just spend that day with that person and talk about just anything -- be it family, best friend, the "other", etc. in the same way, God would very much love if He could be so close, so near and dear to our hearts each moment, each day! this isn't to say that only the word "Jesus", and thoughts about Jesus pervade your mind 24/7/millions of seconds... rather, it means expressing your character in ways that Jesus would approve of, remembering Him once in a while in a day, giving Him that time of day (preferably at your freshest) for 100% concentration and communion with Him, and being able also to share this privilege of knowing Christ with others around us :)
a personal favorite verse of mine, one i sometimes (quite often) like signing off with, is: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34, TNIV) Think back to that day when we first surrendered our lives to Christ -- a day when our passion and awe from this new life and freedom in Christ was gifted to us (the treasure of a place with Him in Heaven, and a present like no other), and we felt such an indescribably powerful fire for Him! only remember that when Christ remains our first love in all things, we are able to direct all our thoughts and emotions towards Him, and experience Him ever more intensely on a daily basis.
often i find, this does not go wrong for me: where i was down and didn't allow myself to be close to Him, was when i felt ever more disconnected and sunk deeper into the "pit"; whereas when i knew in my heart that He is the ultimate refuge, or wished to celebrate something He had blessed me with, was when that elicited joy was further multiplied and made stronger, and i became ever increasingly thankful for all that He has done.
this Valentine's Day 2009, i invite you to refresh your Love for Christ within your hearts and minds... and i pray that as we continue with the year ahead and face all its works, trials, and challenges, that we will never lose sight of the great Love that Christ is to us, and which has been deeply embedded in our lives. i pray that each of us would remember that God knows the depths of our hearts and deepest desire, and hence that we may always avoid putting Him in second place by prioritizing other things over him -- such that our heart knows the need to include Him in all we do.
Forsake Not Your First Love
"I know your deeds," my Lord commends
“You persevere in praise of men,
You lift a banner with My Name up high,
Hate evil deeds, snare of Satan.”
“But I hold this against you,” rebuke my Lord
“You prefer to run instead of walk,
You busy yourself come rain or shine,
Yet your motives are wrong, your love is gone.”
“Come, follow me,” my Lord commands
“For I am love personified.”
Christ’s promises stand tests of time
His words are pure, they’re true and tried.
It’s not about works that pleases Him,
Pride of service can be so vain
He delights in faith that birthed good deeds
A heart that pours love at its best.
It’s all about love that matters to Him,
True godliness, pure obedience,
Continue on and serve with joy
Let’s give our all to Christ alone.
We’re vehicles to change the world,
Let’s shine our light for Christ our Lord,
Let’s change our minds, repent of sins
Then all our works won’t be in vain.
"I know your deeds," my Lord commends
“You persevere in praise of men,
You lift a banner with My Name up high,
Hate evil deeds, snare of Satan.”
“But I hold this against you,” rebuke my Lord
“You prefer to run instead of walk,
You busy yourself come rain or shine,
Yet your motives are wrong, your love is gone.”
“Come, follow me,” my Lord commands
“For I am love personified.”
Christ’s promises stand tests of time
His words are pure, they’re true and tried.
It’s not about works that pleases Him,
Pride of service can be so vain
He delights in faith that birthed good deeds
A heart that pours love at its best.
It’s all about love that matters to Him,
True godliness, pure obedience,
Continue on and serve with joy
Let’s give our all to Christ alone.
We’re vehicles to change the world,
Let’s shine our light for Christ our Lord,
Let’s change our minds, repent of sins
Then all our works won’t be in vain.
"And Jesus answered him, the First of all commadments is...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mark 12:29-30, KJV) here's wishing one and all, a very blessed and enriching Valentine's Day 2009! :D
Jc
No comments:
Post a Comment